Isaiah 65

1 “I am enquired of by those who didn’t ask. I am found by those who didn’t seek me. I said, ‘See me, see me,’ to a nation that was not called by my name.

“I revealed Myself to those who did not ask for Me; I was found by those who did not seek Me. To a nation that did not call My name, I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

2 I have spread out my hands all day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, after their own thoughts;

All day long I have held out My hands to an obstinate people who walk in the wrong path, who follow their own imaginations,

3 a people who provoke me to my face continually, sacrificing in gardens, and burning incense on bricks;

to a people who continually provoke Me to My face, sacrificing in the gardens and burning incense on altars of brick,

4 who sit amongst the graves, and spend nights in secret places; who eat pig’s meat, and broth of abominable things is in their vessels;

sitting among the graves, spending nights in secret places, eating the meat of pigs and polluted broth from their bowls.

5 who say, ‘Stay by yourself, don’t come near to me, for I am holier than you.’ These are smoke in my nose, a fire that burns all day.

They say, ‘Keep to yourself; do not come near me, for I am holier than you!’ Such people are smoke in My nostrils, a fire that burns all day long.

6 “Behold, it is written before me: I will not keep silence, but will repay, yes, I will repay into their bosom

Behold, it is written before Me: I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will pay it back into their laps,

7 your own iniquities and the iniquities of your fathers together”, says the LORD, “who have burnt incense on the mountains, and blasphemed me on the hills. Therefore I will first measure their work into their bosom.”

both for your iniquities and for those of your fathers,” says the LORD. “Because they burned incense on the mountains and scorned Me on the hills, I will measure into their laps full payment for their former deeds.”

8 The LORD says, “As the new wine is found in the cluster, and one says, ‘Don’t destroy it, for a blessing is in it:’ so I will do for my servants’ sake, that I may not destroy them all.

This is what the LORD says: “As the new wine is found in a cluster of grapes, and men say, ‘Do not destroy it, for it contains a blessing,’ so I will act on behalf of My servants; I will not destroy them all.

9 I will bring offspring out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of my mountains. My chosen will inherit it, and my servants will dwell there.

And I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, and heirs from Judah; My elect will possess My mountains, and My servants will dwell there.

10 Sharon will be a fold of flocks, and the valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down in, for my people who have sought me.

Sharon will become a pasture for flocks, and the Valley of Achor a resting place for herds, for My people who seek Me.

11 “But you who forsake the LORD, who forget my holy mountain, who prepare a table for Fortune, and who fill up mixed wine to Destiny;

But you who forsake the LORD, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill bowls of mixed wine for Destiny,

12 I will destine you to the sword, and you will all bow down to the slaughter; because when I called, you didn’t answer. When I spoke, you didn’t listen; but you did that which was evil in my eyes, and chose that in which I didn’t delight.”

I will destine you for the sword, and you will all kneel down to be slaughtered, because I called and you did not answer, I spoke and you did not listen; you did evil in My sight and chose that in which I did not delight.”

13 Therefore the Lord GOD says, “Behold, my servants will eat, but you will be hungry; behold, my servants will drink, but you will be thirsty. Behold, my servants will rejoice, but you will be disappointed.

Therefore this is what the Lord GOD says: “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; My servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; My servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.

14 Behold, my servants will sing for joy of heart, but you will cry for sorrow of heart, and will wail for anguish of spirit.

My servants will shout for joy with a glad heart, but you will cry out with a heavy heart and wail with a broken spirit.

15 You will leave your name for a curse to my chosen, and the Lord GOD will kill you. He will call his servants by another name,

You will leave behind your name as a curse for My chosen ones, and the Lord GOD will slay you; but to His servants He will give another name.

16 so that he who blesses himself in the earth will bless himself in the God of truth; and he who swears in the earth will swear by the God of truth; because the former troubles are forgotten, and because they are hidden from my eyes.

Whoever invokes a blessing in the land will do so by the God of truth, and whoever takes an oath in the land will swear by the God of truth. For the former troubles will be forgotten and hidden from My sight.

17 “For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; and the former things will not be remembered, nor come into mind.

For behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.

18 But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for, behold, I create Jerusalem to be a delight, and her people a joy.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; for I will create Jerusalem to be a joy and its people to be a delight.

19 I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and delight in my people; and the voice of weeping and the voice of crying will be heard in her no more.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem and take delight in My people. The sounds of weeping and crying will no longer be heard in her.

20 “No more will there be an infant who only lives a few days, nor an old man who has not filled his days; for the child will die one hundred years old, and the sinner being one hundred years old will be accursed.

No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.

21 They will build houses and inhabit them. They will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.

22 They will not build and another inhabit. They will not plant and another eat; for the days of my people will be like the days of a tree, and my chosen will long enjoy the work of their hands.

No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands.

23 They will not labour in vain nor give birth for calamity; for they are the offspring of the LORD’s blessed and their descendants with them.

They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD— they and their descendants with them.

24 It will happen that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.

25 The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat straw like the ox. Dust will be the serpent’s food. They will not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the LORD.

The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,”